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Holiday food drive exceeds goals

JANESVILLE — The people of Janesville have done it again. The annual holiday food drive has surpassed expectations.

When the Janesville School District employees took over the annual UAW/GM holiday food drive a few weeks ago, organizers set a goal of providing a bag or two of groceries for 250 families. They didn’t think they could surpass previous efforts.

With the approximately $40,000 collected by Monday’s deadline, organizers expect to deliver five bags of groceries to 350 families.

That compares to last year’s reported collection of $20,000 and 375 families helped.

In addition to the bags of foodstuffs, each family also will get milk; a bag of personal care items such as detergent, toothpaste and bar soap; and several flats of canned vegetables donated by Seneca Foods, said district spokeswoman Sheryl Miller.

Donations from local beverage distributors also are expected, Miller said.

Starting early Saturday morning, more than 100 volunteers will bag the groceries at a warehouse at 525 Conde St., across from Seneca Foods. Then, 60 to 70 drivers will deliver the goods in their cars, Miller said.

Use of the warehouse came from Helgesen Development Group.

“I don’t know where we’d be sitting if we didn’t have this building,” Miller said.

Previous bagging/distributions were at the GM plant.

The collection was up to $16,000 at the start of the day Monday, but as the deadline approached, donations flowed in, said Dave Parr, president of the Janesville teachers union.

“I was just astounded how quickly it climbed,” Parr said.

Parr said each school did its own collection. In some cases, different school employee groups challenged other schools. At Marshall Middle, it was an administrator-versus-teachers challenge.

Former GM workers in Janesville and those other from across the nation sent contributions, and GM’ers who have volunteered for the distribution in the past are volunteering again this year, Miller said.

“It’s just been a phenomenal response,” Miller said.

Individuals and businesses across the community stepped up as well. The Boston Store employees took up a collection, for example, and gave a sizeable contribution, Miller said.

Woodman’s Food Markets did what they’ve been doing for years, providing discounts and helping with the organization.

“Woodman’s, can’t thank them enough,” Parr said.

Miller said organizers believe they have identified the people in Janesville who most need the help.

“At this point in time, we’re comfortable that there’s not a list we don’t know of,” Miller said. “Now, that’s not to say they’re not there, but we don’t know of it.”

Some people who were contacted declined to get the groceries, saying they were being helped by other agencies, Miller said.